Barricades and Brickwalls.
by AfterTheFall
Summary: When Syd's world falls apart, she recives support from an unlikley person.. :)


**Barricades and Brickwalls.**

Summary: As Sydney's world falls apart; she finds support in a very unlikely person. (But I am writing this fic, so he ain't _unlikely_ at all. :) LOL) 

PG13+ 

And I know I have used this song before, but it just such a good song!!  [ok, I love Taxiride. LOL]

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Prologue

**secret **_ (adj) kept, meant to be kept, from knowledge of others; hidden_

_I lie in my room_

_And listen to the sound of the city _

_The light of the moon_

_The snow on the ground is so pretty _

_My friends are asleep _

_Not knowing a word of the secrets I keep _

_Nobody will care when I'm fading away _

_Ooh _

_The chill to that wind _

_My hearts just a stone in the ocean _

_The accusations begin _

_Hopelessly I choke on my emotions _

_Somebody once said you'll all turn out fine _

_If you just use your head _

_Nobody will care when you're fading away_

_Ooh _

_I don't think you're old enough to know _

_I don't think it's clear enough to see_

-- [Taxiride . A Stone in the Ocean]

  
It was late when she finally got home, after hours of debriefing. Lying. Lying on her part – about what she had _really_ done with the latest piece of intel Sloane wanted her to retrieve [_CIA counter mission_] About what _really_ took place in Alsace, France. [_Pain. Fear. Anger. Her.] _About who 'The Man' really was [_her dead mother]_, and what 'The Man' had done to her [_Blackmail. Torture_. _Agony. 'The Man' didn't care.]_ About how her supposed arch nemesis [_Liam. Not 'Sark'. It was Liam now]_ had saved her life. [_Again_]

And lying on Sloane's part. Lying about what he really intended to do with is intel. [_It's fake, so it doesn't matter_] About what he wants to do to 'The Man'. [_but he doesn't know who 'The Man' really is_] Or that he had planed to take in The Man's right-hand man into custody in 7 and a half hours. [_Sark. It was Sark to Sloane. Not Liam. It never would be 'Liam'_]

That's all her life seemed to be now – lies, after lies after lies. She even kept things from Vaughn now. Her one confidant, her sanctuary from her world of tangled lies and half truths, had become another victim in Sydney's life that was fed continual lies. [_About Liam_] 

The lights were off, darkness engulfing her house. [_It's not a home; it never will be 'home'_] She was tried, jet lagged and just wanted to collapse into her bed, and escape her life for a few hours. [_She can't escape. She'll never escape. Even her dreams turn into nightmares_] She closed the front door behind her, slowly, quitley. She didn't want to wake Francie. [_No questions now. She can't handle anymore interrogating. She's too confused to formulate the lies to answer them_]

Fate obviously did not like her. [_Fate must have a deep contempt for her whole family_] France was awake, demanding to know what happened.

"Where have you been? I was so worried!" She jumped from her seat in the dark, "What, you just up and leave when it suits you? Its 5 times this month! I simple phone...." she stops mid sentence, as she notices a deep gash on her right cheek that is highlighted by the moon shimmering into the lounge room. Franice moves for a light switch, and more and more injuries are seen as bright light fills the room. Bruises, cuts, grazes fill her face. Her eyes show nothing but defeat. "Sydney, what happened to you? How did this happen?" Francie pleaded for her best friend to tell her how she ended up covered in bruises and blood. Sydney didn't answer, but simply downcast her eyes, not wanting them to make contact with Francie's, knowing she will break if she does. Francie gripped Sydney's shoulders, begging Sydney tell her what happened, repeating over and over "Syd, talk to me, what's wrong? Who did this?" 

Francie didn't bother asking if Sydney was ok. It was blatantly clear she wasn't. She took her to the couch and sat down next to her. Sydney almost immediately, curled up in Francie's arms, and began sobbing. The hurt, the confusion, and betrayal were coming out; the floodgates were opened and nobody could stop the torrents. Francie, instinctively wrapped her arms around Sydney, holding her as the years of anguish and treachery finally took its toll and Sydney, breaking her. 

"Please, make it all stop…please..please" Sydney mumbled incoherently, holding onto Francie like a lifeline. [_She was. She proved to Sydney that 'normal' still does exist. There is so good in this world of evil.._] 

"Shhh…it's ok Syd, shhh…it's ok now.." She reassured Sydney, as she rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. She wasn't going to push Sydney into telling her what happen. [_yet_]. She needed to calm her first. Images flashed through her mind of what could have happened, of how the injuries on her face got to be there. Why she was so terrified. Francie knew Sydney was tough. She knew something terrible must have happened. [_She'd never have guessed Sydney's mother was responsible for her current physical and emotional state_] 

Slowly Sydney's tears subsided into quiet sobbing, but still clung to Francie like a 3-year-old to her mother. [_Not Sydney's mother_] 

"You gonna tell me what happened hon?" Francie tried again. Sydney moved uncomfortably, trying to think of a plausible excuse for her current state. But she couldn't, her mind was a mess, and she had no inclination to lie to her best friend. "Syd? Tell me what happened.. How did this happen?" She asked again. Sydney simply shook her head. 

She forced herself to let go of Francie's hand, and get off the couch, "I'm going to have a bath, and go to bed. Night" She spoke as if nothing had happened. She moved to walk out, but was stoped by Francie.

"Syd, tell me what happened. You have to" Francie stood too.

"I'm sorry Francie. I'm sorry I worried you." Sydney mumbled, "I'm just..I'm sorry" [_I'm sorry I lie to you. I'm sorry you're my friend. I'm sorry to do this to you. I'm just sorry_]

~*~

TBC..

Please R+R !! 


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